HLUK2026 Confirmed Speakers

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 Alex Wilson is the Leader of the Reform UK Group on the London Assembly, having been elected to the Assembly in May 2024. He joined Reform in late 2020 and was deeply involved at both political and operational levels in preparing the party for the regular cycle of local council, London Mayor / Assembly and parliamentary by-elections. He has also stood for the party twice as a parliamentary candidate - in the 2021 Chesham and Amersham by-election and for Ilford North in the 2024 General Election.

Prior to joining Reform, Alex was an active member of the Conservative Party, including serving five years as an elected councillor in an outer London Borough. He spent much of his term sitting on the authority's Planning Committee as well as a year as Cabinet member for Planning and Public Protection.

Alex has spent much of his professional career providing communications and engagement support for major planning and infrastructure projects. He is a strong advocate for working with communities to deliver high quality development to tackle London and the UK's housing crisis and provide a much-needed boost to economic growth.

  Piers is the Chair of the ESG Reporting standard for social housing: Sustainability for Housing. In 2024 hestood down from being the Chief Executive of The Housing Finance Corporation (“THFC” – an £8Bn not-for-profit lender to UK Housing Associations) after a period of twenty two years, working extensively with government and government agencies and viewed as a sector expert on all aspects of housing finance.  He has also advised the Australian Federal Treasury on setting up an equivalent bond aggregator in Australia. He remains active as a consultant to the Housing Association sector.

He has 40 years of experience of the UK, US and European financial markets specialising in bank treasury risk management, securitisation and the interface between private sector financing and Government.

He holds professional qualifications in both treasury and banking and in addition to his duties at THFC served as a non-executive member of the Homes & Communities Agency’s Regulation Committee for Social Housing between 2012 and 2015.

Piers is currently in his fourth year as Chair of the Board of Newbury Building Society and last year was the Master of a 750 year old City Livery Company: The Worshipful Company of Curriers (leather-finishers, in case you are wondering!).

In 2015 he received a lifetime contribution award at the Housing Association National Accountancy Awards.

 Jen is Lead Product Manager for BREEAM at BRE where she leads the development and evolution of certification products including UKNCR. With nearly 17 years at BRE, her career has been dedicated to science research and the development of certification products that promote sustainability in the built environment.

Jen works closely with customers, stakeholders and subject matter experts gathering feedback and intelligence that drives informed change. She holds a degree in Geography from the University of Hertfordshire, which sparked her interest in environmental science and the relationship between people and place. 

 Mark is a strategy and business advisor with more than 35 years’ global experience in business leadership and management consulting. His international energy and infrastructure sector track record has a key focus on the energy transition, including decarbonisation, security of supply, market reform, regulatory, policy and investment decisions. He has led a number of projects that bring together the energy and housing sectors, including innovation for flexible heating and cooling, residential decarbonization option analysis, regional whole system studies, and hybrid heating systems. Mark brings an experienced yet independent voice to the many contentious issues to support effective decision making and change.